ng from the
boat's gunwale into the netting, up which I at once swarmed with all the
agility I could muster--and I was fairly active in those days, let me
tell you--a musket-shot knocking my cap off as my head rose above the
level of the bulwarks, while a moment later a fellow made a lunge at me
with his pike as I skipped up the meshes, and drove its head half
through the calf of my left leg. I felt the wound, of course, but was
at the moment much too excited and intent upon the task which I had set
myself to give it a second thought, and in another instant, so it seemed
to me, I had reached the tricing line, which I grasped tightly with one
hand while I hacked away vigorously with the other. The rope parted at
the third stroke of the knife, and down dropped the net, sagging so much
in the wake of the main-rigging that our lads were easily able to
surmount the obstacle, and I saw Ryan, with a wild, exultant "Hurroo!"
half fall, half leap down to the brig's deck, where he laid about him so
ferociously with fist and cutlass that he at once cleared a space around
himself for his followers.

As for me, I was left dangling by one hand at the bare end of the
severed tricing line, but within easy reach of the starboard
main-topsail sheet, which I promptly grasped and began to lower myself
hand over hand down to the deck. Even as I glided down the sheet, I saw
that one of our lads had followed my example, and, cutting the fore
tricing line, had let the whole of the starboard netting down on deck,
while his comrades were pouring in over the bulwarks like an avalanche.
The brig's crew still offered a gallant resistance, but the British
blood was by this time fairly at boiling point, and, grimly silent, the
blue-jackets laid about them in such terrible earnest with fist and
cutlass, belaying-pin, clubbed musket, sponge, rammer, or any other
effective weapon that they could lay hands upon, that their rush became
irresistible, and their antagonists gave way before them in terror.

At this juncture, and while I was still some twelve or fourteen feet
above the deck, I noticed a man, whose dress and appearance suggested to
me the idea that he might possibly be the leader of this band of
outlaws, quietly separate himself from the combatants, and with a
certain sly, secretive manner, as though he were desirous of avoiding
observation, slink along the deck to the companion, down which he
suddenly vanished. There was an indescribable